The state Department of Health is working with local officials as it investigates an ongoing outbreak of measles that totals 18 cases, three confirmed in one household in the city of Passaic.

The household in Passaic County has a direct epidemiological link to the outbreak in Ocean County, where 15 cases have been confirmed.

Individuals infected with the virus range in age from 6 months to 59 years, according to the state Department of Health.

On Wednesday, the girls division of the Yeshiva Ktana of Passaic was closed after a "member" of the school's community was diagnosed with the measles, said state health officials. The "member" is one of the three confirmed cases in the city, said officials.

The decision to shut down Bais Yaakov for the day was made by the school, state health officials said. The Pennington Avenue school was re-opened Thursday, according to an employee who answered the phone but would not give her name.

The state Department of Health said the school closed to review documents and proof of immunization of staff and faculty members, said Nicole Kirgan, spokeswoman for the New Jersey Department of Health.

The school and the state would not reveal whether the "member" of the school who has been diagnosed with measles is a student, faculty or other staff member.

As of Wednesday, 18 confirmed cases of measles have been identified in association with the outbreak including the three in Passaic, Kirgan said.

Last week the Department of Health issued an alert and listed three Passaic locations as potentially having been exposed to the measles by a Passaic County resident who had come in contact with the virus.

Passaic Chill Youth Drop In Center on 217 Brook Ave., Junior’s Kosher Deli on 215 Main Ave. and Rite Aid on 78 Main Ave., all were listed by the Department of Health, warning of possible exposure during Nov. 17 and 18.

The Passaic County resident was exposed to an infected Ocean County resident, said Dawn Thomas, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health. There have been 15 confirmed measles cases in Ocean County.

Federal health officials say 107 people have contracted the measles so far in 2018 in 21 states, including Indiana.(Photo: Photo: Everyday Health)

Anyone who on Nov. 17 visited Passaic Chill Youth Drop Center between 8:30 p.m. to midnight, or those who on Nov. 18 visited Junior's Kosher Deli between 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. or Rite Aid between 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., may be exposed to measles and should keep a close eye on potential symptoms, especially if they have not been vaccinated or have never had the virus, state officials said.

Symptoms include rash, high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes and could appear in individuals infected on these two dates as late as Dec. 9, according to the statement.

The Department of Health urges anyone who suspects an exposure to call their health care provider before going to a medical office or emergency department.

Why measles is still a thing

Measles can cause pneumonia and encephalitis, which is a swelling of the brain. Pregnant women with the virus can be susceptible to miscarriages, premature births or a low-birth-weight baby.

Measles can spread when someone coughs or sneezes, making the virus airborne and putting those in the immediate area at risk of infection. The virus can also be spread through contact with infected mucus or saliva.

Most people born after 1957 received a measles vaccine, but some have not, either for medical reasons or because they came from a country where it wasn't routinely done.

Because of gaps in vaccine overage, various regions of the world have been hit in recent years with measles outbreaks, said the World Health Organization, which found that the number of people sickened with the virus in 2018 has exceeded the 2017 total.

The World Health Organization recommends that adults or adolescents unsure of their immunity status get a dose of measles vaccine before traveling overseas.

The recent outbreaks in Lakewood, New York City and Rockland County are linked to people who traveled abroad. In Rockland County, the cases have spread beyond the Orthodox community where they originated.